Leaf and trash gatherer



April 11, 1961 Filed June 29, 1959 F. V. BELLUOMINI LEAF AND TRASHGATHERER 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR. Ez'ea V. fiel/zzominz' BY dM/QM F 1CPatented Apr. 11, 1961 2,978,731 LEAF AND TRASH GATHERER Fred V.Belluomini, P.0. Box 644, Jackson, Calif.

Filed June 29, 1959, Ser. No. 823,614 I 3 Claims. 01. 1s-2sm The presentinvention is directed to and it is a major object to provide a novel,manually portable device for domestic or light commercial use to gatherleaves and trash and to then carry the accumulated debris to a dischargeor dumping point; the device being readily handsupported andmanipulated.

Another important object of the invention is to provide a leaf and trashgatherer which includes a handlesupported, initially open top receptaclenormally disposed in a vertical carrying position but movable undercontrol of the handle to and from a horizontal loading position; the topof the receptacle being provided with a hinged cover, and there beingmeans to automatically open and close the cover when the receptacle ismoved, respectively, to and from said horizontal loading position. Thus,whenever the receptacle is in horizontal loading position, the cover isopen so that debris may be swept into said receptacle, and when invertical carrying position, the cover is closed so that the debris insaid receptacle cannot accidentally escape or be blown out by the wind.

An additional object of the invention is to provide a leaf and trashgatherer wherein the handle remains at all times in a positionupstanding from the receptacle; there being a novel catch unit whichautomatically but manually releasably locks the receptacle to theupstanding handle upon movement of said receptacle to horizontal loadingposition. The handle is formedat its upper endwith a grip, and theaforesaid catch unit includes a release trigger adjacent said grip forready finger engagement and actuation.

It is also an object of the invention to provide a leaf and trashgatherer which is designed for ease and economy of manufacture andconvenience of use.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a practical,reliable, and durable leaf and trash gatherer, and one which isexceedingly effective for the purpose for which it is designed.

These objects are accomplished by means of such structure and relativearrangement of parts as will fully appear by a perusal of the followingspecification and claims.

' In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the leaf and trash gatherer in itsvertical carrying position.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged rear elevation of the leaf and trash gatherer inthe position of Fig. l; the upper portion of the upstanding handle andrelated parts being broken away.

Fig. 3 is a sectional elevation taken on line 33 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a similar view, but shows the leaf and trash gatherer in itshorizontal loading position.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings and to the characters ofreference marked thereon, and by reference to the positions of the partswhen the device is in its vertical arrying position, such devicecomprises an initially open top receptacle indicated generally at 1.

The receptacle 1 is of lightweight sheet metal construction and includessides 2 of trapezium shape, a front 3, a back 4 of lesser height thanthe front 3, and a bottom 5. The top opening of the receptacle 1 thusinclines rearwardly and downwardly from the upper edge of the front 3,as shown for example in Fig. 1. A girth-band 6 is fixed to and surroundsthe receptacle 1 in substantially the plane of the upper edge portion ofthe back 4; such girth-band being above the gravitational dead center ofsaid receptacle 1.

A grate-like cover 7 is disposed on the receptacle 1 in normally closingrelation -to the open top thereof; such cover being hinged, as at 8, atits lower edge to the portion of the girth-band 6 at the upper edge ofthe back 4.

A fork-leg handle, indicated generally at 9, straddles the upper portionof the receptacle 1 and .upstands thereabove, such handle 9 including anupstanding tubular post 10 formed at its upper end with a relativelyshort rearwardly projecting hand grip 11. Adjacent but short of itslower end, the post 10 is fitted with laterally outwardly extending,downwardly inclined legs 12, and such legs include vertical lower endportions 13 which depend in spaced relation outwardly of the sides 2. Attheir lower ends the leg portions 13 are pivoted, as at 14, to

the girth-band 6 substantially centrally between the front 3 and back 4.

A horizontal, cover actuating rod 15 extends transversely between and issecured at the ends to the upper ends of the leg portions 13; i.e.closely adjacent the point of bend in the legs 12. As so mounted, thecover actuating rod 15 normally spansin spaced relationabove the cover 7intermediate the upper and lower edges thereof.

A pair of guide or retention rods' 16 are mounted in connection with thecover 7 and extend from adjacent the lower edge thereof to a point aheadof the cover actuating rod 15; such guide or retention rods 16converging upwardly and being mounted in stand-01f relation to the cover7, with said cover actuating rod 15 disposed under said guide orretention rods 16; i.e. be-

tween the latter and said cover 7. The cover actuating rod 15 thusnormally occupies a position beneath the guide or retention rods 16adjacent the upper ends of the latter.

Adjacent but short of its lower end, the upstanding tubular handlepost10 is fitted exteriorly thereof, and on the back side with a verticallyelongated weight 17 which includes a vertical inwardly projecting web 18which passes through a longitudinal slot 19 in post 10; such web 18being grooved on opposite sides, as at 20, for the reception in guidingrelation of the adjacent portions of the past '10 on opposite sides ofsaid slot 19. The weight 17 is thus mounted for guided up and downmotion.

A pull rod 21 is disposed within the post 10 and such pull rod isconnected, at its lower end, to the Web 18 while the upper end of saidpull rod is connected to the shank 22 of a trigger 23 slidably mountedon the back side of said post directly below the hand grip 11. A fingerof the hand which engages the grip 11 canv convenientiy engage and pullupwardly on the trigger 23 whereby to impart corresponding movement tothe pull rod 21 and weight 17; the latter being one element of a catchunit, the details of which will hereinafter appear.

An upstanding tubular handle 24 is disposed adjacent but outwardly ofthe back 4 of receptacle 1 and centrally of its sides; such handleincluding a forwardly extending upper attachment bar 25 and acorresponding lower attachrnent bar 26. At its inner end, the attachmentbar 25 is secured to the girth-hand 6, while at its inner end the lowerattachment-bar26 is secured to the bottom 5 as shown:

At substantially the point of bend between the handle 7 a di s set thmen a l sh a le is "formedvvithan outwardly openinghotch 27; Thelowerendq i he i ht 7 s' fmmed as-ai mccat'clh'izss which catch lies in thesame vertical longitudinalplane as the notch 27; Upon swinging ofthereceptacle Iii-om H its; vertical carrying. position, as'in Fig; 1, toits horizon,-

talil'oading pos ition, as in Fig, 4and at which timethe post 10.remains "in an upstanding position, the camfacedicatch 28 snap-engages,under the influence of-the fork-leg handle 9 in an upstandingposition onthe recep tacl e l'lwhen the latter is in its horizontal loadingposition. 7 V r v,

' j Additionally, and to laterally stabilize the 'forlg-leg weight 17;in the notch 27; This eflectively' lock sfthe handle 9wl1en'thereceptacle 1" is iii said horizontal load; 7

ing positiomlhe portion of the, post 10 belowthej catch 2;8fisfjcutaway, as at 29'," to define a-cradl'e including side ears 30-which,straddle saidrattachment bar. 25; Further, a dog 3 1 isinturned from thelower. end. of post 10 and engagesin, a notchr32 in. the upperattachment bar'25 when said fork-leg handle 9. -is in its latched orloclced position, 7 V V vr'lforele'ase the receptacle11 ,-for return toits vertical carrying position from the horizontal leading position,

tion. v As. hereinbefore described, the; grate-lik'evc over 7"isnormally closed; i.e., when the receptacle 1 is in its verticalcarryingposition, 7 However, when such ,re cept aclefl isvmanipulated bythe fork-leg handle 9, between said vertical carrying positionandhoriz'ontal loading posie the user, liftsthe entire devicefby thegrip'lland'then V pulls upwardly on, the trigger 23 which, withdraws thecatch 28' from the notch 27 whereupon said receptacle'l gravitationallyswings,backtosaidvertical carrying posi tion, and which is accomplishedby swinging of the. re- 1 ceptacle forwardly. and downwardlypreferablywhile in ground engagement, the cover 7 is, automatically opened. Thisoccursby'reason of the cover actuating rod 15 slid? ing under andalongthe. guide orretentionrods 16 in the directionof the, upper edge ofthe-back 4. As 'a consequence, and when the fork-leg handle 9.isin aposition upstanding from the then horizontally disposed receptacle Ileaves and trash may-then be; readily swept into such -,re

,ceptacle much in ,the nrannengf a: dustpam At such;tin1 e e receptaclem y: emei ta nsi-s a nary; by, han

" engagement of the 11 0f handle 9, orlon hezh rfldle 24; the latterhandle also being useful to dump the debris from the receptacle 1 whendesired andwhich isaccom- 7 plished with the coverj7, enemas in Fig. 4.

From the foregoingdes'cfiptiomfit will be readilyseen that there hasbeen produced sucha device as substan- 'tially'fulfills the objects of"theinvention, asset forth herein. 7 a

' Whilethis'specification-sets'forth in detail'the present and preferredconstruction of injedevice, still in practice such deviations-from suchdetail may-be resorted to as do not form razdeparturez'from the spiritof the invention, asv definedbythe appended-claims.

Having thus described the invention, the following is claimed asnewanduseful and upon which Letters Patent is deired: I 1

1. A manually portable leaf and trash gatherer comprising a receptaclenormally disposed in a vertical carrying position, the receptacleincluding a bottom, front,

back, and sides; a fork-legged handle upstanding from the receptacle,the fork'jlegsi straddling the receptacle, means transversely pivotingthe fork legs ,at their lower ends to adjacent sides intermediatethe-front and back of said-receptacle whereby with;the, handle remaining7 upstandingthe receptacle is swingable forwardly and downwardly fromsaid-verticaltcarrying position to a horizontal loading position, thehandle including a post from which the fork legs extend above a lowerend portion of said post, said lower end portion of the post beingadjacent the back of the receptacle when the latter is in saidhorizontal loading position, and means between said lower end portionofthe post and theback of-thereceptaeleoperative when the same-are insaidadjacent-relation to automatically but releasably -lock-thereceptacle in said horizontalloading positionysaid' releasable locling-means including a membenvertic'ally. slidablymounted on said lowerend portion of the-post, the lower end;of' I saidmernber being formed asacatch element, and'va'bar fixed on the -backof the receptacle formedwith a notch into which said element is adapted;tocsnap engage; said barbeing included'in another handle on the receptacle atthe-rear thereof.

a 2. A device; asinclaim 1-, in which said ;memb'er is -a weight; therebeing control means-which-limitthe down ward movement of the weight.

3. A manually portable leaf and trash -gatherer 'com-t prising areceptacle normally disposed ina vertical carryir'lg position, thereceptacleincluding a bottom, front,

hack,*- andsides; a fork-legged handleupstandingfrom thezre'c'eptacle,the fork'legsstraddling'the receptacle,

mean's'transversely pivotingthefork'legs at their lower 7 ends toadjacent sides intermediate the front; and back 'ofsaid receptaclewhereby with-thehandle remaining upstanding the receptacle isswingable'forwardlyfand downwardly from said vertical carrying positiontoga horizontal loading position, the handle-including 'a* post fromwhich the fork le gs; extend above a lower endfporftion of saidpost,said lower end-portion of the post 'being adjacent the backof-there'ceptacle'whenthelatter is in said horizontal leading position,and means between-said lower end portion-ofthe post anatheba kaemeiecetacle operative when the-same are insaidadjacentufelafi e to: a i ma alv t releasablr l skthei 'e spts n said horizontal loadingpositiong saidrelea bl ess n l d n a me r v wllii l deb mn n i n: sa d e end p n otxhe sweet of l a d;m m er.b n -form d'aso a 'catch'el m ntan i s 7 fixedon the back of the receptaclefQrmedwithanotch 7' into which saidelementis adapte'd it'o snap-engage; said a r i eti is re e r a e h askotset:

of the post beingformed with a rearwardly openingloeating cradle inwhich said bar seats-Mhc'nasaids catch is engagedzinthe notch.;. I r V,7 References. Cited in the filelof this patent ,7 I",UNITED'STATESQPATENTS v 531,177" 7 i ne;18,..1,8 1;

Gere W 8 44, 168 Murray Feb.; 12 ,j1 907 1,389,249 Kitchel Aug;3 0,''192 1 2,5 4 4 e ba

